Eavesdropping Sneaks are Charming Things
by Miasen
Summary: Pyro is feeling restless and seeks out old surroundings. He never intended to talk to anyone, but then he sees her, sees Rogue, and just can't help himself. RYRO!
1. Restless Arsonist

Title: Eavesdropping Sneaks are Charming Things

Author: Miasen

Pairing: Pyro/Rogue (better known as RYRO!)

Rating: M, eventually.

Disclaimer: Yeah, still own absolutely nothing… I'm just playing with the characters!

A/N: So, my first Ryro story. I've had loads of fun writing this! It started as a one-shot, but now I have an estimate of five chapters. Enjoy, and please leave a review so I'll know if this is a pairing I should write more of in the future or not.

Chapter One: Restless Arsonist

John Allerdyce tossed about in bed, groaning and kicking at his sheets. Sleep didn't seem to want to come to him tonight like so many nights lately. The bed creaked violently at each turn of his body, and that just made it even more difficult to fall asleep.

In the end he gave up, pulled off the sheets completely and scrambled out of bed. He glared down at the small bed in contempt. He hated it so badly; there was just no way to get a good night's sleep on it. He missed the bed he had had back at Xavier's place. _That_ had been a comfy bed. All soft and warm and…un-squeaky.

John sighed and turned around, putting his back to the bed. There was no way he would get any sleep, and the room was too depressing to stay in awake. All shiny metal everywhere. Nothing that could catch fire whatsoever, and where was the fun in that?

John shut the door to his room and headed down the hallway of Magneto's hideout where he had spent the majority of his time since he had left his old teammates and friends at Xavier's. Most of the time he was happy with that decision, staying with the Brotherhood had taught him so much. He had improved, being able to use his powers just how he wanted to, no restrictions whatsoever. Just being able to do what he wanted (at least most of the time) and not follow an endless list of rules and restrictions, made it all worth leaving the mansion. John had never been a fan of rules or authorities.

But he'd give the mansion that, the comfort was better there. And the food was definitely way tastier. And the girls weren't all bad either.

John smirked to himself as he stepped out of the hideout. Yeah, the mansion had some pretty nice girls. Kitty, Jubilee, Rogue—oh yeah, he probably missed that even more than his old bed. There were girls at the hideout too, but they were so…rugged. Nothing but tattoos and grim faces. Or tattoos _on_ grim faces. And they never seemed to care much about John, no matter how many advances he made. In the end he just gave up on them. He poured his attention towards his work and training, and if he got too needy he had his trusty right hand. It was always there when he needed it, ready for action.

High above John could see the moon, slowly creeping over the sky. Judging by its position it was getting very late, but John didn't care. He didn't have curfew, he could stay up however goddamned late he wanted to.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and felt the metallic square he always kept there. He pulled out the Zippo and flipped it open. The small flame flickered in the breeze, and he cupped his hand around it, pulling it into his palm. Once he had control over it it wouldn't be extinguished by some faint wind. He could make it grow or shrink at his will, could manipulate it to do pretty much whatever he wanted. Yeah, some stupid wind could do nothing when _Pyro_ controlled it.

As he looked at the flame that burned in his palm it wasn't flickering anymore, it was burning brightly, strongly. John smiled and closed his hand around it, quenching it in an instant.

Putting his Zippo back into his pocket he set off down the forest road. He just needed to stretch his legs, do something other than stay in that metal box that Magneto had constructed underground. They hadn't been on a mission in ages, nothing big ever since Alcatraz. There had been the occasional small thing: go fetch that mutant, go torch that building; but Magneto didn't seem to want to do anything big until he had gotten his power back, and with the rate that was going in it wouldn't be for years. But hey, as long as the old man got his powers back before he croaked that was probably all he needed. John had no idea how it had been to live like a homo sapiens for weeks and weeks, but he had seen the look on Magneto's face as he came back and announced that his powers were returning. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

John came to one of the cars that were parked not far from the hideout. They had a small collection for the use of the Brotherhood whenever they had business to attend to. John gave it a moment's thought, and then he went over to the nearest car and opened the door. The keys were standing in the ignition like they always were. There was no one around for miles except the Brotherhood, so there were no car thieves to worry about.

John slid into the driver's seat, turned on the car and started off down the road that led towards civilisation. He had no idea where he wanted to go, he just wanted to go somewhere, do something, meet someone.

Some hours later he found himself driving through the familiar area of Salem Center where he had spent so much of his time before, either hanging out at the arcade or diner with Bobby, Peter and the other guys. He hadn't been here ever since he left the X-Men, but the place hadn't changed much. There were a couple of new house erected outside the town centre, but otherwise it seemed the same. The diner, where he now ate what would probably qualify as breakfast given the time of the day, looked and smelled just the same. He even thought it was the same woman working behind the counter.

He ate his meal in silence, trying to figure out just why he had ended up here. Maybe his longing for a good bed had been influencing his subconscious more than he had thought? He should probably get back to the hideout, just turn around and drive back, but now that he was in the neighbourhood… It was kind of tempting to go and visit old places. So, the X-Men would probably kick his ass if they saw him, after all, they were enemies now, but no one needed to _know_ if he came back did they? He just wanted a little peak, just to show himself that he had made the right choice and that he really didn't want to go back to them. Shut himself up so he'd get a good night's sleep again. He wasn't fooling himself, it wasn't just the crappy bed's fault that he wasn't getting any sleep, it was all his mind creating problems. He'd spent a long time at the mansion, it was only natural that he missed it at some point wasn't it?

"Fuck all of this," he muttered and pushed away his plate with leftovers from his meal and threw some money on the table before he left the diner. He got back to his car and sat down in the driver's seat again, but didn't turn on the ignition. He just sat there, his hands on the wheel, gripping it tightly. His knuckles were turning white and his shoulders tense. For a while he just sat there, doing or saying nothing. His mind however, was not quiet or calm at all. It was spinning. He couldn't see why he couldn't just turn around and leave and forget all about the mansion, but there was some part of him screaming out now. He wanted to see it, one final time. He had no idea that the last time he saw it would be his last, had no idea in what direction his life would turn after fleeing the mansion and then meeting Magneto and Mystique. Maybe he just wanted closure or something girly like that. God, he was so pathetic.

His fist connected with the steering wheel suddenly, and it hit the horn, sending a loud honk into the otherwise quiet morning. He removed his hand and the sound stopped instantly. He pulled a hand through his hair and looked out the windows. For a moment he hesitated, then, without thinking anymore about it, he opened the door and started down the road, abandoning the car on the sidewalk. It didn't take long till he left the town centre and got into the residential area of town. At the end of the street, by itself, he knew that the mansion lay behind tall fences he couldn't climb, at least not without getting noticed. But behind the mansion there was a forest, and that was not fenced off.

John followed the road until he could see the mansion in the distance, then he stepped off the main road, walked between two houses and stepped into the forest. The rest of the way towards the mansion he followed the forest, walking silently in the shadows of the large trees.

It didn't take long till he could see the familiar building that housed _Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters_ through the trees. He snuck closer.

The garden that surrounded the mansion and edged on the forest was massive, and he was closing in on the very farthest corner of it now. He knew that the chance of anyone hanging out there was slim; it was too far away from the basketball court, so he took his chance and snuck closer, until there were just a few trees between him and the garden. He could see the mansion now, if he peered around the trees. It too was just as he remembered. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but maybe just a small hint that months and months had passed since last he saw it? But no, it was just as he remembered it.

He leaned against the trunk of one particularly large leafy tree and crossed his arms across his chest.

"So, what now," he mumbled, annoyed with himself for coming here in the first place. He really had no idea what he wanted. It wasn't like he could just come up to them and say he wanted to visit. And why should he care about hanging in the bushes and watching the place? Now that would get old soon.

He did as he always did when he got bored and pulled out his Zippo. Then he closed his eyes for a moment, just listening to the sound of his lighter as he opened and shut it. Whenever he wasn't on a mission for Magneto he preferred to leave his wrist igniters at home and stick to bringing his trusty old Zippo. He'd had it for years, it was a part of him, and even if the wrist igniters might be more convenient he still preferred his Zippo.

Faint in the distance he heard the familiar sounds from the mansion. The shouting of kids, occasional explosions or other sounds of mutant teens trying out their powers to the annoyance of the teachers. John knew all about that, he had no idea how many of the rooms in the mansion that had scorch marks on the walls or roof courtesy of himself.

His lips crooked into a small smile. He certainly had some good memories from this place, he couldn't deny that. He and Bobby had their moments of mischief, at least until Rogue came into the picture. Then Bobby was all about impressing her, and obviously he thought the way to do that was to be the good guy.

But, even if the guy was an idiot around Rogue John couldn't say he blamed him. Rogue seemed to have quite the effect on guys. Maybe it was the whole untouchable thing. Guys always wanted what they couldn't get. A bit of danger and excitement in life.

But then she had apparently taken the cure, and was no longer a danger. But she was still hot though.

John smirked. Yeah, Rogue was maybe the hottest girl at the mansion. They way she talked, her drawl growing heavier when she was excited; her eyes; her lips; her… Oh yeah, she had more than the danger parts going. Bobby had scored the jackpot with her. It had always annoyed John that Bobby had beaten him to her. John had tried in the beginning, but Bobby always thwarted his attempts at getting her attention, making John seem like a fool.

John's thoughts were interrupted by a pair of voice nearing. He stepped further into the shadow and slinked behind a tree, pressing his back up against the rough bark of it. He kept as quiet as he could as the voice came closer to where he was hiding.

It didn't take long before he could make out the owners of the two voices. Both feminine, but so utterly different. Jubilee was easily recognised on the way words poured out of her accompanied with a constant smacking of gum. The other voice was nothing like Jubilee's, and so much more interesting. Rogue. John smiled to himself and listening to the two girls, just because he didn't have anything else to do. And, well, he'd always wanted to know what girls talked about when they were alone.

Rogue pushed her white stripe of hair behind her ear and sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Aw, come on! That's what I'm for you know. Friends are made to talk to when you have boy problems. Spill it!" Jubilee said eagerly.

"It's nothing really. It's just that I had a small fight with Bobby again."

"A _small_ fight? Girl, half the mansion heard you two going at it."

Rogue lowered her face to the ground and tried not to blush. When she and Bobby fought they always seemed to forget that they were living in a house filled with other people. She hated that it was impossible to keep anything secret there. She wanted to scream at Bobby, and she would prefer it if no one else heard it.

"Aw, lighten up. Everyone fights, it's no biggie. What was it this time?"

Rogue shrugged and kicked at a tuft of grass. "Just stuff. I don't even remember."

"Rogue, I know you've been with Bobby a long time and all, but maybe it's time to rethink this relationship? It seems like all the two of you ever do is fight these days. Why bother? There's plenty of fish in the sea ya know," Jubilee said with a wink.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you should know. You're always out fishing aren't you?"

"Well, have you ever looked around yourself? There are plenty of hot guys around. Can't blame a girl for keeping her eyes open and enjoy the view, maybe trying for a little more. I mean, have you ever been to a Danger Room session with Piotr? In that tight leather suit… Talk about tall, dark and handsome! Or, you know, if you prefer the more scruffy type there is always Logan. Even if he is kinda old. But, hey, when has that ever stopped anyone? Mmmm… Or, there's Warren. Handsome, loaded with money and constantly brooding. Yeah, to be the girl to make him to talk, or you know, even _smile_." Jubilee had a blissful smile on her face, and for a moment she didn't say anything. She was probably lost in daydreams, and Rogue did not want to know what they involved, it was bound to be something dirty, probably starring Jubilee and _all_ the aforementioned guys.

Rogue was about to snap her fingers to get Jubilee to snap out of it before she started drooling, when the younger girl's eyes lit up. "Oh, and you remember John right? Too bad he left huh? You were friends with him right? Could have become something else. There's just something about the bad guy huh? Being all rebel-ly and all." Jubilee smirked and nudged Rogue in the ribs.

Rogue sighed and turned away from Jubilee, looking back at the mansion. Jubilee could keep her daydreaming to herself, at least for the moment. She was still involved with Bobby, and even if she doubted that the relationship had any future it didn't mean she was up to gossiping about other guys just yet. Even if Jubilee had a few good points. There was just something with guys in tight leather uniforms that was very appealing.

"Mmm… I can't wait for my next Danger Room sess—" Jubilee was interrupted by her cell phone and it's eerily cheery ring tone. Rogue saw her fish it up and press it to her ear before she turned away again, looking out over the forest. They had been out walking in the garden and somehow ended up in the very back. She never hung out here. It was nothing but bushes and trees, far away from where everyone else was. Kind of nice actually, to get away from everyone. Well, everyone other than Jubilee at least, but she was getting good at tuning out her. Jubilee could keep herself company by her chatting for a long time before she realised Rogue wasn't paying attention.

Rogue sat down on the grass, tilting her head back and letting the warming rays of the sun fall on her face. She was glad she didn't need to cover herself up with clothes like she had before. Having to use gloves and scarves now in the middle of summer would be murder. She much preferred the loose knee-length skirt and the sleeveless top she was wearing now. There were times she had regretted taking the cure, this was not one of them. It had been a year and a half ago now, and for most of the time it had all been great. At times she felt useless, like when the rest of the X-Men went on a mission and left her at home in charge of the mansion, but for the remainder of the time things was like before, except for the fact that her touch was no longer deadly. She took classes like the others, trained hand-to-hand combat, hung out. For the most life was good.

Except that lately she and Bobby had been going through a rough time. They had been together for ages, and had enjoyed the fact that they could touch very much after Rogue got the cure, but then things had dwindled off. They fought all the time, mostly over nothing, and it was getting old very soon. Rogue missed how they used to have it, when she was still in love with him. Now she wasn't sure she even liked him half the time. Maybe it really was time to move on for the both of them, to quit before things got too bad.

Rogue suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly. She had forgotten where she was for a moment, too caught up in her thoughts. It wasn't like it was the first time that happened.

She peered up and saw Jubilee standing with the phone in her hand.

"I got to go," Jubilee whispered and pointed to the phone. "It's Theresa, she is having guy problems. And, like the good friend she is, she actually talks to me about them."

Jubilee was grinning, so Rogue wasn't too offended by it. "You just go, I think I'll stay here and just soak up on some sun." She smiled to show that it was okay, and Jubilee nodded and pressed her phone to her ear again.

"I'm coming in a sec, Theresa, don't go anywhere," she said into it. With a nod in Rogue's direction she then started off back towards the mansion.

Rogue lay back on the grass and closed her eyes. As she heard Jubilee's voice vanishing she let out a content sigh and folded her hands under her head. She loved her friend dearly, but sometimes it could get a little too much.

For a while she just laid there and enjoyed the sun. The only sounds she could hear were a faint murmur from the mansion, as well as the few sounds that came from the forest, winds ruffling through leaves and birds chirping. Maybe she should come back here more often. It seemed like a good place to find some peace and quiet, something that was nice when you lived in a house filled with people.

Suddenly a shadow fell over Rogue's face. She opened her eyes and expected to see a cloud covering the sun, but saw no such thing. What she saw was unexpected, to put it mildly. She sat up abruptly and scrambled to her feet, her jaw dropping and eyes widening.

"John?!"


	2. Torn

Chapter Two: Torn

"Wow, you really are excited to see me aren't you?" John said with a smirk and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure why he had stepped out from the trees and approached Rogue to begin with, and now he had no idea what to say to her. Any sane person in his shoes would have just turned around and headed back to the hideout and forgotten all about the mansion and its inhabitants, but seeing Rogue all by herself like that, in an outfit that looked positively skimpy on her because he had never seen her not completely covered in clothes, had made a small voice in his head speak up. And the next thing he knew he was standing right next to her, looking down on her face.

She had looked so gorgeous, even more than he remembered. But then she had, of course, noticed him, and now she just looked confused and a little bit angry with a frown on her forehead and her arms crossed protectively in front of her chest.

"What the hell are you doing here, John? Out to torch the mansion huh? Spying on us?" She scowled at him.

"It's Pyro, not John," John corrected before he shrugged. "And nope, I had no intention on torching the place. Not before I steal a bed at least."

Rogue opened her mouth as to say something, but then closed it and just frowned some more, probably waiting for him to explain. John saw no need to explain about the uncomfortable beds at the hideout, so he just changed the topic.

"So, you and the popsicle aren't doing well are you?" John said with a smirk. He was not surprised. How anyone could have bothered staying with Bobby for so long was a mystery to him, he was surprised Rogue hadn't dumped him a long time ago.

Rogue's jaw dropped, and she stared at him with wide eyes for a moment before she actually got her mouth to work. "You…You eavesdropping sneak!

"Hey, I'm the _bad_ guy you know, the _rebel-ly_ type," John said, using Jubilee's words from earlier, "it's what we do, you know. It's why the girls like us."

"Well, count me out of those girls, you creep. That was a private conversation! I'm so gonna…" She took a step closer to him, all hints of confusion switched to pure anger.

John snickered. "Yeah, just exactly what are you going to do with that?" he said and nonchalantly leaned against the trunk of a tree, something that only seemed to make her even angrier.

"I'm gonna call Logan and get him to skewer you!"

"Oooh, now I'm really scared. The big bad Wolverine out to get me."

Rogue took another step closer to him and jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. "Or I'll just take you out myself. I'm sure it wouldn't take much."

"Oh, Rogue, you are really hurting my manly pride now. Only, as far as I remember there isn't much you can do to me. Once yeah, sure, you could have taken me out using only your pinkie finger, but now? You're just a human, nothing to worry about."

John never saw the fist that came flying through the air, not until it connected with his jaw. His head snapped backwards with the force of it, and he slammed his head into the trunk of the tree. Pain flared both places and he uttered a pain-filled groan. He clenched his eyes shut and at the same time felt the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. His hand went to his lips, and he touched it gingerly. His fingers came away smudged with blood from where he'd bitten himself when Rogue punched him.

"Why the hell did you do that?" he asked and spit the blood to the ground before he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"To make you shut up. I'm not just a human, I'm still an X-Man, and even if I don't have my powers I'm not defenceless. I told you I wouldn't have any problem taking you down." Rogue looked rather pleased with herself, and John used the opportunity when she wasn't paying attention to launch himself at her and grab her shoulders, pressing her against the trunk of the tree behind her.

She let out a small moan as her back connected with the tree. It had to be more because of the shock, because he hadn't pushed her hard against it, nothing that would hurt her. Now he kept his grip on her shoulders and held her against the trunk, slowly leaning in towards her.

"Don't get cocky now," he whispered, just barely loud enough for her to hear it.

Rogue squirmed, trying to get loose of his hold, but was finding it difficult. Someone had obviously trained since he left the mansion, because she didn't seem to be able to just shrug him off. Okay, so maybe it had been a bad idea to slug him like that, but she couldn't stand the way he was smirking and talking. He was just so full of himself, he always had been. Always wanting to show how cool he was, how powerful he was. That act might work on fifteen year olds, but now it just seemed stupid. And why had he come back here? Just to pick on her, to mock her? Well, fuck him, he could mock all he wanted to, she couldn't care less. He'd been a friend once, but he wasn't anymore. He was a traitor, and she really didn't want anything to do with him. There was no part of her that was happy to see him, not at all. Or well, she was maybe a tad bit happy to see him and know that he hadn't gotten himself killed on some stupid Brotherhood mission at least.

She stopped moving and just glared at him, waiting for him to get tired of this and just leave. Unfortunately he didn't seem to be in a hurry, because he just stared at her and didn't move to let her go.

"You've changed," he said suddenly, surprising Rogue. He was saying it so calmly, like he was just stating a fact and she hadn't just punched him in the face. Like they were old friends, and not enemies. She didn't know what to say, so she stuck with acting like he didn't have that look in his eyes, like he was just the same insufferable brat he had once been.

"Well, you haven't," she said when he didn't seem to feel the need to say anything else, but as the words left her lips she could hear that it didn't seem like she really meant it. She bit her bottom lip and hoped he wouldn't notice. That he would just let her go and vanish. This was getting weird, him and her out here. It was something with the way he was looking at her. She saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. They seemed harder, older, more serious, and she had no idea what to make of it.

"Really?" he said with scepticism on his voice and leaned closer to her, putting his mouth right next to her ear. "Not at all?"

Rogue swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say, but was finding it hard to think with him this close. She could feel his breath on her skin, and it was rather distracting. He had never been like this before, this close, this intimidating. He might have made an advance or two on her earlier, but that hadn't been anything she took seriously, just a horny teen playing around, trying to get attention. But now things were different. She hadn't seen him since he left the mansion, and that was years ago. And it was clear he had changed during that time, but she just couldn't admit it. Couldn't admit that it was something about the way his hands were tightening on her shoulders that made her pulse beat harder.

"Nope, you are still the same old sneak. Nothing new there." Rogue flinched and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. That did not come out as she had intended it to. She had tried to sound casual and like she didn't care, but her voice had betrayed her, and with the way it had broken at the end it wasn't hard to figure out that she didn't really mean it. Or well, he _had_ acted like a sneak, with the eavesdropping and all, but he was not the same. Now she felt like it was only a façade, some attitude that he wore out of habit. It was something about him that made her doubt that he was still that same old sarcastic and annoying teen he had been. He seemed more grownup in a way. Which maybe wasn't that weird, he was older than when she had last seen him, of course he seemed older.

John pulled away from her so his eyes met hers again. His gaze was intense, and the grin he wore faded slowly.

Rogue was about to make another attempt on getting lose when he suddenly leaned in. She felt his lips on hers and froze instantly, her eyes widening. That was…unexpected.

John could feel Rogue tense and pulled away. He chuckled a little, but it soon died. He had no idea why he had just done that, why he had kissed her like that. It wasn't like he had planned it, it just…happened. Maybe it was the smell of her, or the way she looked at him. All he knew was that before he could think it through his lips were against her. And it seemed to have surprised her as much as him by the way she went completely rigid.

"Heh…" he started to say. He had no idea what to say, but he didn't have to worry about that as Rogue seemed to snap out of it right that instance.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" she shrieked and squirmed worse that ever. John let go of her and took a step backwards before she decided she needed to start punching him again. She certainly seemed more than tempted.

"I—"

"I'm with Bobby remember! You can't just go around and kiss other guys' girlfriends like that!"

John just stared at her, waiting for her to shut up. Which she did after calling out some more profanities. She seemed to be tapping into a vocabulary only Wolverine could be responsible for teaching her.

"I thought you and Bobby weren't doing all that great," he said plainly, which only caused her to flare up again.

"It's none of you business!"

John held up his hands in defeat as he backed away. He couldn't help but to smile though. She looked quite hot when she was all fired up like this.

"What are you smiling at?!" Rogue demanded.

"Nothing," John said and grinned wider.

"I'm going now, and you better be gone by the time I get back to the mansion and tell Logan just where you are. I'm sure he would love to sharpen his claws on a _Brotherhood_ mutant."

There was something about the way she said "Brotherhood" that showed nothing but hate. Obviously she didn't see the same in them as John had once done. He had been so excited to join them, to tap into his full potential. Well, he didn't really blame her though, being kidnapped by their leader might make most people hesitant to joining them.

"Come one, we were friends once weren't we? You can't hate me that bad just because I left you?"

Rogue crossed her arms in front of her chest again and looked away from John. She had wanted to just say that it wasn't why she hated him, that she hated him because he was one of them now, one of the bad guys. But there was something stopping her. Maybe it was more truth in what John had said, maybe she was angry with him for leaving her, not for leaving the X-Men? But no, that was stupid. She had been with Bobby at the time, and John was only their friend, or actually, he was mostly Bobby's friend.

She had always been a little annoyed with him, with the way he was always showing off, always acting up. But, she had to admit, she had found him a bit fun from time to time too. And she had always found him attractive, like, purely look-wise.

Rogue sighed and lowered her face to the ground. She was not going to admit, not even to herself, that she'd had a crush on John, and that she had been truly upset when he left because that meant she couldn't see him anymore. She was not going to admit that, even if it was just a little bit true.

"Well, you're awfully quiet all of a sudden," John said and Rogue peered up at him. He wasn't smirking now, he was just looking at her with a mildly confused look. She didn't blame him, she was just as confused herself.

"I have to go," she whispered and turned around, starting off towards the mansion. But before she had taken two steps she felt his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She didn't turn around, but she didn't try and leave either.

"Hey, I'm sorry about… you know, kissing you and all. I didn't mean to, it was just…well…"

"It's okay. It's not like Bobby would care either way. " Rogue said, bitterness tainting her voice. She really wasn't sure he would have cared if she went out with someone else. She had a sneaking suspicion he wanted to do so himself only hadn't gotten around to actually break up with her yet. They really were doomed, so that wasn't her biggest concern. Her biggest concern was that one of their enemies, one she was supposed to fight _against_, had just kissed her, and some part of her had liked it and wanted more.

"Why don't you just break up with him then?"

"Because… Heck, I don't know, just because."

"He never was good enough for you."

Rogue turned around slowly and John's hand dropped from her shoulder. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively.

"What I just said. He wasn't good enough for you. Too boring."

"And who would you think better suited then?" Rogue asked and stared him boldly in the eyes. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her, she was going through some major mood swings. From angry to upset to…flirtatious? She must be going insane. Maybe John was just some hallucination, a figment of her insanity. Well, if that was so, maybe she should just go with it. Might as well enjoy going crazy.

"Well," John said and took a small step closer to her, which put him straight in front of her. She could see him leaning closer and for a moment considered just turning around and getting the hell away. It wasn't like he had her cornered, all she needed to do was turn away and leave, but her feet seemed unwilling to obey her mind. And then the rest of her body seemed to rebel as well, and she found herself leaning closer to him. Yupp, she had to be going crazy, because this was really not like her. A moment ago she hadn't even wanted to talk about other guys with Jubilee, now she wanted to kiss one? Her mind was practically spinning.

Then, for the second time that day, his lips met hers, and this time she didn't tense up. That small voice in the back of her mind that called out that she needed to get away and not do something she would regret, was pushed behind a door which was securely locked. Right now she didn't act rationally, she acted on impulse, and to be honest, she was very much enjoying it.

John's lips were so very different from Bobby's. Bobby was always cold, like he had been outside in the middle of the winter, but John was the exact opposite, he was warm. And that heat seemed to spread through her body as he deepened the kiss.

Soon she felt his hands on her waist, and then he pulled her close, pressing her against his body. Her arms wound around his neck. The little voice in the back of her mind was furiously knocking on the door now, urging her to leave before she did, or well, _continued_ _to do_ something she most definitely would regret in a moment. But Rogue really didn't care. Now all she cared about was the way John's tongue slid along her bottom lip. She opened her lips and let her own tongue meet his, intensifying the kiss.

John was not sure how this had happened, how he suddenly found himself making out with Rogue in the back of the garden back at Xavier's school. First of all, he had never intended to come back. Secondly, he had never intended to talk to the X-Men on friendly terms again, thirdly, he had definitely had no intention to meeting Rogue and kissing her. Or having her suck at his tongue like she did now…and oh, that was good… and he never…oh, and her fingers caressing his neck and…

John forgot what it was he had never intended to do and just went with it. He had no idea why Bobby would ever fight with her, why he would do anything other than make out with her all day long, because, damn! She really knew how to do this. Pyro hadn't kissed anyone for the last months, and certainly couldn't remember it being like this, because this was just…hot. Rogue made the most pleasurable little sounds as he let his hands slide up her back and her lips were so soft, so incredibly soft.

He might have dreamed about this from time to time when he still lived at the mansion, but he had never come even close to reality in his dreams, because this was so much better.

Just as he lifted his hands to pull her hair away a shout echoed through the garden.

"ROGUE-Y!" It was Jubilee, of course it was Jubilee, and judging by the sound she wasn't far from where John and Rogue were standing.

John pulled away from Rogue and mumbled a few well-chosen phrases. He did not want to get interrupted, not now, not when he'd had Rogue in his hands, a Rogue that for some reason didn't seem to despise him as much as he had always thought she did. Give it to Jubilee to make her appearance at the worst possible moment. He quickly looked around himself. They were standing on the edge of the forest, among the trees, but Jubilee would spot them the instant she came around the hedges that was planted between here and where she was further up in the garden.

John debated what to do, whether he should just leave or not, but a quick look at Rogue did not favour the first. He didn't want to leave. Or, well, he wanted to leave before Jubilee came, he just didn't want to leave Rogue. Not when she, for some strange reason, didn't seem to hate him. He decided he would just have to hide for the moment. But, he did not want to hide alone.

He grabbed Rogue's hand and pulled her along with him as he stepped in amongst the trees. As they rounded the trunk of a large tree he pushed her against it, so that it was in-between them and the mansion. John positioned himself in front of Rogue, just so they wouldn't been seen, not _at_ _all_ because it meant he could push himself against her.

He looked at Rogue with a small smirk on his face, hoping they could take up where they'd left off a moment earlier. Her head turned to the side, towards the sound of Jubilee's shouting, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "Maybe I should go talk to her," she whispered.

"Or maybe you should stay here with me until she leaves?" John said and grinned wider. "I promise I won't bite." He lifted a hand and stroked her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek, gently brushing against her soft skin.

Rogue rolled her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it. John couldn't take his eyes off it, and as she let it go he leaned in and kissed it, sucking it gently into his own mouth for a second.

As he pulled away and met Rogue's eyes she was blinking rapidly, and he noticed her chest rising as she pulled for her breath. She seemed quite affected by him and he loved it.

"Uhm, okay, maybe I'll just stay here…with you…yeah…" Rogue said, her southern drawl heavier than usual.

"I like that idea," John said before he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to the soft skin of her neck, nuzzling it, alternating between small kisses and nibbling.

Rogue rested her hands against his chest, feeling his warmth as his mouth slid over her skin. Then his lips moved to her mouth, finding her lips in a kiss. Rogue met them eagerly, kissing back and deepening the kiss. She wasn't thinking about this, was just enjoying herself, enjoying John. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but she just didn't care. John was the enemy, she was cheating on Bobby, she was ignoring her best friend who was trying to find her—these things just didn't matter now, all that mattered was him and his lips.

"ROGUE! Where are ya? I need to talk to ya!" Jubilee's voice cut through the forest, making Rogue wince. It seemed like she was headed straight for them, she had to be right by where Rogue had first seen John. It wouldn't take her long to find them where they were standing, all she needed to do was step just inside the forest.

Rogue broke the kiss and a small sigh escaped from her lips. It didn't seem like Jubilee was giving up that easily. "I should go to her," she said.

"Why?" John said.

"Because she'll not give up until she find me, and it might be something important. And…We really shouldn't be doing this." The moment John's lips hadn't been touching hers it seemed like her guilt came flowing back. This was so wrong, just the fact that it felt amazing didn't change that. She was still with Bobby, she couldn't do this to him, couldn't betray him. Couldn't make out with a guy she hadn't talked to in years. Couldn't ignore Jubilee.

She should have taken John to Storm so she could talk to him. She should get him to leave. She should leave herself. Anything but make out with him. She was so stupid, getting caught up in the kisses. But it wasn't only the kisses, it was the fact that someone was showing interest in her. Bobby hadn't done that in a while, not like this. Maybe she was just vain, or maybe she was just stupid. But, she wasn't stupid enough to keep it going any longer, not when Jubilee might find them any moment.

"I'm sorry," Rogue said and stepped away from John, heading towards where Jubilee was calling from. She bit her lip and lowered her face to the ground. She was feeling torn, one side wanting to forget all that she should and just stay, the other being the responsible part. And, now it seemed like the last one was winning. She had been staying with the X-Men for too long, she couldn't do anything she thought was wrong.

She stepped out from amongst the trees and saw Jubilee further off. She was standing with her back to her, walking around the garden, searching for her.

"Hey, Rogue!" John suddenly called out and Rogue immediately stopped and turned around.

John smiled softly at her, so unlike the smirk he usually had on his face. "I'll see you around, 'kay?"

Rogue beamed and nodded before she had time to realise that she should have said no, should have told him to stay the fuck away. John waved and turned around. Before she knew it he had vanished among the trees and it was only her left.


End file.
